V. I. Lenin

A Shameful Fiasco

Published:A separate reprint fromProletaryNo. 50, November 28 (December 11), 19O9.

      Published according to the text of the separate reprint.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,[1974],

      Moscow,Volume 16,

      pages85-86.Translated:Transcription\Markup:R. CymbalaCopyleft:V. I. Lenin Internet Archive (www.marxists.org)
      © 2004

      Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the
      terms of theGNU Free Documentation License.

Thereader will remember the short but instructive his tory
of the “Party” school in X.—. Here it is. After a year’s internal
strife the Bolshevik faction categorically dissociated itself from the
“new” trends—otzovism, ultimatumism and god-building. The Bolshevik
Conference passed a special resolution declaring the school in X.—to be
thecentre of a new factionconsisting of the supporters of these

			       trends.{1}The leaders abroad of the new faction built on these three monster bases
split off from the Bolsheviks organisationally. Being endowed with unusual
political courage and unshakable belief in their creed, the heroes of the
new faction did not venture to come out with visor up in their own
newspaper, etc. They chose instead the simple expedient ofdeceivingthe Party and our faction: they formed a school abroad
which they called a “Party” school and carefully concealed its true
ideological complexion. After a number of efforts they managed to collect
some thirteen workers in this mock-Party school and a group consisting of
Maximov, Alexinsky, Lyadov and Lunacharsky set to work “teaching”
them. Throughout, this clique not only concealed the fact that the
“school” was the centre of a new faction but strenuously insisted that
the “school” was not connected with any faction but was a general Party
undertaking. Maximov, Alexinsky, Lyadov and Co. in the role of
“non-factional”

			      comrades![2]

And,now, finally, the last stage. Of the workers who came abroad to
study at this mock-Party school, about half of them are in revolt against
the “bad shepherds”. Elsewhere we print two letters from pupils of the
notorious “school” and several reports from Moscow which completely
expose Maximov, Alexinsky, Lyadov and Co. for the adventurers they are. The
contents speak for themselves. It is all good stuff; the “regular
battle”, the “fiercest controversies every day” and the picture of
schoolmaster Alexinsky putting his tongue out at the worker students,
etc. In the weighty reports of the school all these things will probably be
transmuted into “practical studies” of questions of agitation and
propaganda, a course “on social philosophies”, etc. But alas, no one will
take this pitiful, shameful farce seriously now!

Fortwo months the leaders of the new faction have been trying to
persuade the workers of the superiority of otzovism and god-building over
revolutionary Marxism. Then, losing patience, they began to force the
otzovist-ultimatumist “platform” down their throats. And the more
enlightened and independent of the workers protested of course. We do not
want to serve as a screen for the new ideological centre of the otzovists
and god-builders; there: is no control over the school either “from
below” or “from above”, say the worker comrades in their letters. And
this is the surest guarantee that the policy of hide-and-seek and demagogic
“democratism” is doomed to bankruptcy in the eyes of thepro-Partyworkers. “The local organisations themselves will
govern the school in X.—,” the workers were told by Maximov and Co. Now
this game has been exposed by the same workers who used to have faith in
this clique.

Inconclusion—one request, godly otzovist gentlemen. When you in your
divinely hallowed Tsarevokokshaisk finish—as we hope you will—drawing
up your platform, don’t hide it from us on the precedent of your action on
a previous occasion. In any ease we shall get hold of it sooner or later
and publish it in the Party press. So it would be better for you not to
disgrace yourselves once again.

{1}See present edition, Vol. 15, pp. 450–51.—Ed.

[2]Incidentally let Comrade Trotsky read the workers’ letters inserted
elsewhere in this issue and decide whether it is not time he kept his
promise to go and teach in the “school” at X.—(if one of the reports of
the “school” is correct in saying that such a promise was given). Perhaps
this is the opportune moment to come on the “field of battle” holding an
olive branch of peace and a cruse of “non-factional” unction.  —Lenin